Viral Spiral: J. David Jewelry’s “This Diamond” Video

December 16, 2010byDaniel Ford

J. David Jewelry is very aggressive with its video
marketing. The “This Diamond” video is a slight departure from some of store
owner Joel David’s edgier videos, such as the YouTube video announcing his
1-carat diamond ring giveaway video competition. “This Diamond” is more like
David’s “I’m All Yours” video complete with footage of David and his family as
well as a bridal jewelry couple declaring David is “their jeweler.”

“This Diamond” is a video that could run any time of year,
year after year. The only problem is that folks in the Broken Arrow, Okla.,
market would most likely tire of seeing this commercial over time. Aside from
that marketing reality, the “This Diamond” 30-second spot appeals to so many
jewelry-buying demographics on so many jewelry gift-giving occasions, one would
think it’s too much information in such a compressed spot, but it’s not. The
producers were even able to wedge in a quick message from David the store owner
talking about how “these diamonds are our business,” a good reinforcement of
the video’s central message. See what industry video marketing guru Nick Failla
says about J. David Jewelry’s “This Diamond” video, which has had more than 550
unique views on YouTube:

“The ‘This Diamond’ video created by J. David Jewelry does a
masterful job of illustrating the true reasons for giving the gift of a diamond
and while doing so appeals to potential jewelry customers spanning a very wide
age group. This spot is pure genius.

“Many retailers are hesitant to create the commercial spot
they have always wanted once they learn of the costs involved. It’s not
uncommon for the cost to produce the video like the J. David Jewelry’s ‘This
Diamond’ to exceed $10,000. While this may be peanuts to a large retail chain,
this is a might bit scary for a family-owned jewelry store.

“Do you have to spend a ton of money to create a great
video? Of course not, but some of the videos we have already reviewed in
Viral Spiral have been budget productions. However, as in the case of
‘This Diamond’ the investment is well worth it.

“Let’s take a moment and examine some of the products and
services you will have to consider paying for when producing a spot like J.
David’s:

Script writing

Actor (six different professional actors in the
case of ‘This Diamond’)

Studio time

Cameraman

Production

Music licensing

Hair and makeup

Wardrobe

Copywriting and trademarking

“If you spend $10,000 on producing a great video, is it
worth it? It may help you come to your answer by asking some of the
following questions:

What will be the projected lifespan of the spot?
For example, the ‘This Diamond’ video is so universal and timeless it can be
broadcast for many years to come thereby allowing you to amortize the costs
associated with it. On the other hand, if the spot was for a one-time
special event that would never be repeated, all the costs must be associated
with that single broadcast version.

How many diamonds do you believe will be sold as
a result of the spot? If you used $2,500 and a 50 percent gross margin to
represent your average engagement ring sale then you would need only eight new
engagement ring sales to cover the production cost of the spot.

How many potential new customers do you think
will at least seek out your products and services because of the new
spot? Ultimately some of the ways you can measure the effectiveness of
your spot are by measuring new sales, hits on your website, and unique views of
your video on YouTube.

“While spending a lot of money certainly opens up some
production options, it can never replace well crafted and inspired
creativeness. With that said, hats off to J. David Jewelry for taking the
chance on spending the money it took to see their dream spot created and
knocking it out of the park.”